Metal brush



Oct. 13. 1925. 1,557,166

H. J. HORN Filed -Aprl '7, 1923 Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,557,166 PATENT OFFICE.

`:F.[AlltOllfD J. HORN, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORLTO JOHN'A. ROEBLINGS- SONS COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEW` JERSEY, A'CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. i

METAL BRUSH.

Application filed April 7, 1923. Serial No. 630,445.

To ,all whom t may concern t f Be it known that I, HAROLD J.IIonN, a citizen of the United` States, residing at Trenton, county of Mercer, and State. of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Brushes, fully Adescribed `and represented inthe following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

. This invention relates to improvements in -Wire brushes.

`It is the principal aimof the presentinvention vto provide an improved form of wire bristle which may be advantageously used in revolving brushes of the `motor driventype commonly employed for scraping and cleaning purposes.- In prior brushes of this kind, breakage of the Wire bristles at or near the. brush head or point of sup port, due to lack of efficient means for pre venting localized bending and resultant crystallization of the metalat this point, not only materially shortens the life. of the brush, but during the entire period of use its efficiency gradually diminishes until it is useless. Briefly stated, the invention avoids localized bending of the bristles at or near the point of support by `providing each bristle with a flattened portion, intermediate its lfree end and base or point of support, of sufficient area to receive and distributethe bend of the bristle without crystallization of `tihe metal at this point. The invention also Yprovides novel means for .positioning the bristles so that when they are formed of either round or flat metal,.such intermediate fiattenedportion on` each bristle will face I in the direction `of rotation of thebrush so as. to readily flex at this point when bending strains are imposed thereon. In the case of .flat metal,ralso, the bristles :will be so. posi- Vtioned as to rotate in an edgewise direction except with respect tosuch flattened portion, Wherebyany bending strains imposed thereon and not taken care of .by such flattened portion,'will be resisted atthe base sufliciently to prevent breakage. at thatpoint. The above features, in connection with the means yfor holdingfthe bristles in the brush head, provides a brush having not only the characteristics of simplicity andcheapness in manufacture, but also high `eiiiciency and very long life.

To enable the invention to be fully understood. it will now be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings and the .novel features tihereof then be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure lis a side elevation of the brush withthebrush head casing partly broken away; v

Figure 2 is atop plan view of a portion of the same with the lbrush head cover plate broken away to show the manner of posihave been inserted as hereafter explained.

The memberl() and coverplate 11 have central registering openings 13 to enable the brush to be mounted on the end of a motor or other power driven'shaft (not shown). Inl the dish-shaped member l0, and within the area of t-he annular space provided by forming the members l0 and llas abovev describedpare 'formed slots 14 (Fig. 2),.preferably andas shown arranged radially with respect to the aXis of such dish-shaped membe-r. In such slots are positioned the bristle groups or tufts, made up of a plurality of the bristles l. l

The bristles l are preferably `formed of iiat Ilfletal` strands bent upon` themselvesto formv two integrally connected bristles of approximately hairpin or inverted V-shape. When the bristles l aret-hus formed, ,each

4of'theybristle legs is provided with a flattened or thinned portion 2 intermediate; its free end and base, and this rflattened or thinned portion may readily beformed, when flat wire strands areused, by imparting to the strands a' quarter turn, or 90o twist, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction (Fig. 4). When the bristle groups or tufts, nested together as' shovvnin Fig. 3, are positioned in the radial slots, they may bev easily and firmly secured therein by running wire hoops 15 through the bent or base portions thereof which project into the annular space, referred to, and

of such bristles will move in an edgewise direction. rl`he radial slots are preferably so proportioned with respect to t-he size of the bristle groups or tufts, which are each com`v posed of, say, five folded metal strands, as shown, that at least two groups or tufts will more than fill each slot and be forced to overlap slightly at the centers thereof, thus preserving the nested relation of the bristles and also securing a better distribution of the bristle points. The bristles may be provided with sharp points in any well-known manner, but preferably and as shown in Fig. 4, this is done by tapering off the edge on one side Vof one bristle leg and on the opposite side of the other bristle leg, as at 3, so that the brush will be equally effective when rotated in either direction.

It will be understood that wire of any cross-sectional shape may be used, the flattened portion between the free ends of the bristle and point of support, being produced by deforming the bristles as above described, or otherwise upsetting the metal so as to produce an area which is deformed with respect to the parts of the bristle outside of such area, so as to favor vbending within such area.` The above shaping operations are, of course, performed before tempering, and bristles thus formed may be secured in the brush-head in the same manner as above described witli reference to flat wire bristles. It will be understood, also, that the shaping or twisting operation above described as to such flat wire bristles is also done be fore tempering. Y

While the invention has been shown and described in what is now believed to be its preferred form, it will be understood that various changes Vmay be made while still retaining the invention defined by the claims. lt will also be 'understood that the invention is not to'be confined to use solely with revolving or power driven wire brushes, but may be advantageously embodied in brushes of other classes.

' What is claimed is:

l. A wire bristle for brushes having abase portion arranged to be mounted in a brush head and having a straight portion between the free end of the bristle and said base portion of less thickness in the direction of movement of the brush than the rest of the bristle and arranged to bend in the movement of the brush, whereby localized bending of the bristle at its base is avoided.

2. A folded wire bristle for brushes having on each leg a base portion arranged to be mounted in a brush head and a straight portion between the free end of the bristle leg and said base portion of less thickness in the direction of movement of the brush than the rest of the bristle and arranged to bend in the movement of the brush, whereby localized bending of the bristle legs near their base is avoided.

3. A wire bristle for brushes formed of a flat wire having a base portion arranged to be mounted in a brush head so as to move edgewise therewith, and a portion intermediate the free end of the bristle and said base portion turned at a right angle to the latter and arranged to present the flat surface of said intermediate portion in the direction of movement of the brush, whereby localized bending of the bristle at its base is avoided. 4. The combination with a brush body, of wire bristles having their base portions mounted thereon, each of said bristles having a straight portion between the free end of the bristle and said base portion of less thickness in the direction of movementl of the brush than the rest of the bristle and ar ranged to bend in the movement of the brush, whereby localized bending of the bristles at their base is avoided.

5. The combination with na revolving brush head, of wire bristles mounted in said head, said bristles having an area intermediate their free ends and point of support of less thickness in the direction of rotation than the parts outside of said area to favor bending within such area and prevent localized bending of the bristles near their point of support,

6. Thecombination with a power driven brush head, of wire bristles mounted in said head, said bristles having intermediate their point of support and free ends a flat area of less thickness in the direction vof movement than the parts outside said area to favor bending within such area and prevent localized bending at the base of the bristles, and means for mounting said bristles in the brush head so that said fiat bending area. will face in the direction of movement.

7. The combination in a revolving brush, of a brush head having radial slots therein, fiat wire bristles mounted in said slots, and

means for securing said bristles in placez-said bristles being deformed intermediate their free ends and point of support to present an area of less thickness in the direction ofro- Atation than the parts Outside said area, to

favor bending within such area, and being mounted in the brush head so as to rotate in an edgewise direction along their entire length with the exception of said intermediate area.

8. rllhe combination in a revolving brush, of a brush head having radial slots therein, flat wire folded bristles of approximately inverted V-shape arranged in groups in said slots and with the base portions of the bristles projecting therethrough, .and a wire arranged to engage said base portions of Said bristle groups to hold the same in place, said bristles being twisted so as to present a {lattened portion intermediate their free ends and base to the direction of movement and with the remainder of the bristles moving edgewise.

9. The combination with a revolving brush head, of folded bristles of approXimately inverted V-shape mounted in said head, said bristles each having the edge on one side of one bristle leg tapered 0H to the end and the edge on the opposite side of the other bristle leg likewise tapered oil", to render the brush equally effective when rotated in veither direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD J. HORN. 

